


I've grown a mouth so sharp and cruel

by Anonymous



Category: Henry Stickmin Series (Video Games)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Dragons, Alternate Universe - Modern with Magic, M/M, Selectively Mute Henry Stickmin, also i gave her a gf because i could, and yes. dragons. because theres a serious lack of it in the stickvin tag, be my guest, galeforce getting full names and his title revoked in the tags is so fuckin funny to me, i struggle with tense so if you wanna help out with that, just a bit. i wanted ellie and henry to know eachother before they met charles, man will never catch a break, remember how i said a little canon divergence?, yeah idk i just thought of ellie and i missed her
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-28
Updated: 2020-10-21
Packaged: 2021-03-07 23:02:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,549
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26705680
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: Henry was glad that nothing was restraining his hands, as he immediately dropped the thermos and yanked the blindfold from his eyes in the same motion. What was whatever in the thermos spilled its contents over the floor, and a man cursed while another took aim. Henry pushed himself to the side, not noticing that he wasn't on a bench at the time, butdefinitelynoticing it when he collided with the ground.He continued to scramble sideways as the first shot just barely managed to miss him, his heart in his throat and his stomach along with it.Henry had to get the fuck out of here.
Relationships: Charles Calvin/Henry Stickmin
Comments: 20
Kudos: 107
Collections: Anonymous





	1. Chapter 1

Henry had tried going free from being a criminal for a while. 

He had worked a job for a while (that he hated), he got himself an apartment when the first chance arose (and he was proud of it. Of having kept the job that long, even if his apartment was so _small._ ), and last but not least: he sold whatever he had previously pick-pocketed and stole that looked like it could have a decent and above monetary value. _Now that--_ he would loudly proclaim sometimes to no one, in his tiny one bedroom with peeling walls -- _he detested the most._

Having rid himself of the gems and jewelry had been the hardest decision of his life, second to deciding that being a criminal wasn't worth escaping jail again. 

So Henry tried. He tried to find contentment in the boring monotony of his work. Of just coming home, and then back to work, again and again. The pay was almost always never enough to buy himself something outside of basic necessities. His job was awful like that, even if it paid the bills. He had always wished it paid more.

Henry had thought of going out once, to break the rut he was in, but trust is a fragile thing that he gave to few. And he did not trust himself to not lift something off of someone. 

See? He _was_ trying. 

But, the thing is- there comes a point in one's life where they inevitably get laid off, because apparently they got caught slipping something in their pockets one too many times. The hidden discontentment with his pay having, apparently, spurned him on more than he thought. Though weirdly placed cameras might have had a bigger hand in it, as well as his encroaching hubris.

His awful, always encroaching hubris. 

Although weirdly placed cameras _are_ the death of most thieves, after all! Especially a thief who was trying _not_ to be a thief. Despite all of that, and Henry trying to plead his case of not guilty despite the obvious evidence against him, he got laid off. The highlight of this shitty situation was that at least he wasn't being charged. Which was a surprise to learn, when it came for the exchange of never appearing in that place again. He gladly took the exchange, because even he wasn't aware of how much he had taken- unconsciously or not. 

The situation was no further helped by the fact that Henry couldn't find another job before rent was soon ghosting his door, like the faux but very real grim reaper that it could be. 

So Henry Stickmin, former thief and employee, laid in his futon in his awful one bedroom apartment in silence. Like every other night since he'd lost his job. It frustrated him that even when he had moved closer to the radiator, the chill in the house seeped through the thin covers he was using. 

Henry feels like he's personifying the cold a little too much when the thought that pops into his head when he thinks about the chill is something like _"The coldness of failure"._

His eyes were drawn to the popcorn ceiling in the dim flickering light as he thought about what to do next, because he once again couldn't sleep. His TV playing gentle white noise in the background, juxtaposition to the headache-inducing mantra to the "What next?" that ran as an undercurrent to it in his head. It was moments like these, where he laid still as death in the night, that he wished he was a thief and living rogue. At least he would feel less dramatic about being cold and slightly depressed. 

So what happened next was a bit scary, and felt too much of a coincidence when the news channel he had put on flipped to a repeated broadcast that he had missed during the day while he was out. He wasn't even paying full attention until he heard the words, "112 million dollar diamond!"

That made him shoot out of bed quick, his covers thrown back as he scrambled across the floor and to the TV. Henry rushed to stand, and in his haste, he banged into the table. Then the chair on his stumble sideways. Then he _nearly_ flipped over the seat until he caught himself heavily on the table, and snatched the chair to pull it back before it hit the ground. 

It all happened so quickly that Henry's face was still pulled back into a grimace as he grabbed his shoulder and hissed. That _hurt._ But then… no amount of pain would've stopped his brain from coming to the quickest decision after he laid eyes on the Tunisian Diamond: that it will be _his._ Henry didn't immediately think about the amount of pure _want_ for the diamond that hit him. Or, more aptly, he didn't question it.

He hurriedly swiped his keys from the table, only making himself pause long enough to get a location and his bag before he was out the door. 

It wasn't lost to him, despite how fevered he felt to get the gem, how funny one shiny object worth a lot of money would make him break the promise he kept to himself.

\-------

Henry had decided the best course of action was to sneak in. Of course, this was not made without the big influence of what and _who_ was guarding the place.

In the crisp night air, as Henry watched from where he was hiding, he saw a couple of hunters standing guard next to the south wall. Some stamped their feet idly in the cold. Others smoked and even chatted quietly. It was a group of six, the heavy bag of what had to be equipment laid in front of their feet on the grass for everyone to see. Henry would've said that that was a bold move, if what was probably in the bag didn't make him cringe for whatever poor idiot thought to face these guys head on. 

He had to pause for a moment though, to wonder if he was going to become the poor idiot who was going to face this lot head on. _Not if I can help it,_ he thought vehemently as he slunk back and away as a sudden gust kicked up. He shivered as he began sneaking towards the back of the building, rubbing his bare arms regretfully as he walked. Really should have brought a coat or something, and not _just_ his supplies bag.

Henry made it to the back just as he saw the rotation of guards shift. Three shapes out of the current group that he could see were carrying something between them, which he would probably guess was the dragon hunting equipment. Flipping over his wrist, before realizing he sold his watch, and then looking up at the sky, before realizing that it was _way_ too cloudy to guess the time, Henry huffed softly in frustration. Just his luck to not know the rotation, so it left him with minimal time as he scurried out into the open while he rooted into the bag he brought with him. It really only held simple things that he would've normally used for heists. 

Not that he usually does heist! He is- _was_ , he mentally corrects, trying to not commit to a life of crime. He didn't.. Usually.. break that promise to himself. 

But as he dug and grabbed out the necessary tools needed to scale the wall, Henry came to the realization that felt like he was on a precipice. No one was currently around as the rotation was happening. He could just.. Henry could just _leave_. He didn't have to do this. He could go to the shelter, find another job, and be back out again. Getting the diamond wasn't a be all and end all. Something about realizing this made him pause, made him look down at the tools he clutched tightly in his hands after he had slung the bag over his shoulder. _You could go back,_ a small part of him begged, _no one has seen you yet. They wouldn't suspect a thing._

And yet.. And yet Henry stayed standing there. The want he had felt earlier for the diamond rearing back it's head slowly. The promise, the allure. To no longer be struggling, to not go back to the mind numbing boringness of his job. He didn't have to do this, not really. But he _wanted to._

God. Did he want to.

He wants to own pricey things again. He wants to stare at the way light fractures off of something expensive and genuine. The part that reared its head felt so starved for that. And was that not the most selfish thing of all? 

Henry forced the climbing tool into the crack between bricks, hoisting himself up with finesse. Guess he was the most selfish person of all.

\-------

Stealing the diamond had been surprisingly easy. It almost felt.. Too easy.

As it turned out, a lot of the security was centered around keeping anything trying to get _in_ to stay _out_. So anything trying to get out was left largely unimpeded, which was about as hilarious for him as it was worrying. As Henry stood back outside, diamond in arms, he stared down at the unfortunate guard leaning against the back steps. And he meant just _one_ guard. Because what kind of thief would even think about approaching an entrance where the shot of a gun would alert the people inside, before you've even entered the building? 

Unless you dual profession assassin-thief. Then maybe you'd get away with it. But Henry wasn't an assassin. _Until now,_ he solemnly adds as he drops the heavy and priceless gem on top of the guard. A relatively small body count is but a tiny price to pay, in order to have a lot of money. He hopped over the guard rail, landing with a soft thud onto the grass as he turned around to survey the man. His face pulled back into a cringe before he looked around to make sure the coast was clear. Once that was confirmed, he bent down and lifted up the gem to hug it close to his chest. He felt a wicked smile overtake his face as his heart sung. 

Unfortunately, he didn't get a lot of time before he heard the jostle of heavy equipment. But that was okay. He could do this later. The heavy gem melded with his flesh along with his clothes, as he became lighter and his perspective shifted. An extra set of arms helped push him back into the shadow while the first pair held the diamond close while he worked on molding it into his form. 

Soon after, he heard shouts. Which means they either caught a glimpse of his tail, or found the body. _Too bad_ , the thought as he ran, his wings shaking themselves out as they unfolded cleanly from his form. He launched himself into the air, wings beating a frantic yet controlled rhythm as he aimed to break into the cloud cover. 

Despite the shots that rang out, Henry was already gone. His looping elongated form disappearing into the clouds.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yoo.. this took eons to get out. originally i planned for this to be different, but i scrapped the original second chapter because i Missed and Loved Ellie So Much. 
> 
> also!! thank you for the overwhelming amount of positive feedback!! i appreciate everyone who read this
> 
> edit: just realized i left a bunch of stuff uncapitalized and punctuated. so i just went back and fixed it up (if you spot any more, dont be afraid to lmk! i dont have a beta, and also tend to upload late and tired)

Henry unlocked the door to his safe house, his arms laden with goods he had brought from the grocers. Hopefully this would last him a week, as biking five miles to and back was more than stressful enough, even if it was just rolling grass keeping him company.

He elbowed the door close behind himself, eyes turning forward to give a cursory scan of his house. It was quiet, and everything looked like it was in place. From the small vase he had on a table near the door, to the soft couch and overpriced coffee table he had bought for himself. The flat screen that he owned was bolted to the wall, and couldn’t be seen at this angle in the small entrance way, though he _presumed_ it was hopefully in the same place. Although the safehouse was rather bare, Henry dined to keep it that way as it was easiest to track moved items. 

Also because he moved around a lot. He _did_ steal a priceless gem afterall. Which, even if it’s no longer in his possession (unfortunate, but also temporary), he still had to stay on his toes. 

Speaking of that.. Henry turned around to face the door, carefully looking for the rune he had carved next to it. It didn't take him long before he saw it. As he ran his fingers along the uneven yet precise gauges, he couldn't help but think that it looked a bit shit. _It's the best a dragon can do while inside this place, I guess,_ he tries to sympathize with himself as he wished he could sense how much magic was leaking from it. 

He stood there for a bit more, tracing the outline of the rune idly in thought before he finally pulled himself away to put away his food. 

Henry went and unceremoniously dumped his groceries on top of the countertop in his kitchen, planning to deal with that once he brought some noise into the house. He moved across the living room towards the flat screen t.v, turning it on before he turned back around to go put the cold cuts and the easy perishables into the fridge. He had left it on the news channel, like he always had for the past month or so after stealing the Tunisian Diamond.

Whoever was on currently spoke in crisp tones, detailing whatever happenings were going on. Henry didn't listen as closely as he finished putting away the meats in order to move to the canned goods, focusing on stacking them on top of each other to have the _least_ amount of time spent on putting the cans into the cabinet. Also, Henry didn't want to get the step ladder. 

The tri-stack of beans wobbled dangerously in hand while the news talked about the localization and push for more dragon related law enforcement. 

Once Henry was done restocking, he threw himself down onto his soft couch. Proper treatment of it be _damned_ , he was tired of stacking beans and fruit and now he wanted to relax. He threw one leg over the back, and decided to text Ellie later to see if there was any important development that had to deal with the tracking against him. He would think more about texting his other contacts, if their relationship wasn't strictly based on the value they could offer each other. As well as a sort of debt system. And Henry didn't really feel like fessing up any more money than he necessarily had to. 

Henry watched the news up until he learned the weather for this week, after which he started the boring task of channel surfing the limited and meager amount of content that was available from free tv.

\-------

It was a surprise to no one that Henry woke up with a startled snort, his hand slapping his face too hard as he misjudged the distance. He kept it there, because the haze of sleep had not just left him yet and the T.V was playing something gentle in the background. Henry wiped the drool from his face with the hand he slapped himself with while he tried to comprehend how long he was out, the heavy curtains blocking the sun (if it was still even out,) not helping him at all. He stayed like this for a couple of moments before lazily swiping the burner phone from the top of the coffee table in defeat. The time read 3:17 PM.

So he was out for about three-ish hours? He let out a small sigh, dropping the hand holding the burner to his chest to let his eyes droop close. He knew he had to cook dinner soon, but he was _really_ feeling the lazy pull to go back to sleep. 

Henry drew his arm over his eyes, grumbling to himself before rolling off of the couch to stumble to his feet. He brought the burner with him into the kitchen, depositing it on the stovetop while he dug into his freezer. Although he had been feeling a little lazy, he grabbed the steak. 

It didn't take him long to finish seasoning the meat and to put the rice in the rice cooker. Once the preparation was done, the rice was all he had to wait for. Henry washed his hands in the sink before patting them down on his pants, reaching for the burner to text Ellie.

do you think the reason why rice takes so long to cook is because its cowardice is huge and fills its shrivelled little body  
3:37PM  
also. any news?  
3:37PM

He placed the phone back down after sending the text, pushing himself up from where he started leaning on the countertop to check the cooker time. When it hadn't moved all that much, Henry wondered why he put the rice in so late. 

He thought about sweeping up when he moved away from the rice, to just do something while he waited. But his phone buzzed on the countertop and he immediately abandoned the thought to whirl around and snatch it up.

i don't think that's a proper sentence?? i'm confused. and there's nothing outside of the usual. except if you count that people are getting real antsy about Diamondback and also that it's, well.  
3:41PM

Ellie took a minute to respond, which in turn made him frown in worry. 

it's kind of disappearing from the news. like, i suppose that's how it works from a news standpoint? maybe? but Diamondback's heist is disappearing rather quickly for something that made national news.  
3:43PM  
i'm not sure. I'm having Lana look into it. she's better at this stuff than the both of us combined.  
3:44PM

yikes. :( i wonder if it's blowing over, but the whole situation on the news makes it feel like it isnt  
3:46PM

Henry put the phone to sleep and kept it in his hands when he checked the rice again. He felt uneasy as he thought about what Ellie said, because it meant either good things or bad things with almost no inbetween.

And Henry didn't like the indecision that caused. 

He decided to leave the rice alone and to just leave the kitchen, since the rice wasn't going to cook faster with him hovering over it. 

He moved over to the couch to plop himself down, his leg bouncing as he looked around. The ward was intact, he reassured himself, it'd look worse if it was breached. The held burner in his hands buzzed for his attention, but Henry was already moving up and off the couch. _Maybe i'm too used to dragons not forgetting,_ he thought when he reached the doorway and it looked overall intact and _not_ burned. 

Henry even reached out to run his finger along the grooves to see if there was any soot. When it came back clean, he let out a loud sigh. He hates feeling this vulnerable, but being Diamondback is a lot more conspicuous. He turned his phone back on and tapped in the password, thinking maybe it was just a ripple effect. It's not like he lives in a vacuum.

maybe it's a ripple effect. it's not like it lives in a vacuum, BG. 3:48PM

He snorted, already tapping out a response.

i thought about that 3:51PM

He moved away from the door, asking Ellie her plans for the week so that they could possibly go scouting or to catch up. He heard about the charm she was hoping to create, and he shared with her that he was thinking of moving again. 

Henry returned to the kitchen with a smile on his face, although he began scowling when he looked up. The rice _still_ wasn't done??

\-------

Henry sat in his house, burner phone in hand, while he waited for ellie to come pick him up. He tossed it back and forth from hand to hand, planning on having her destroy it once they got some ways away from the house. He _did_ have to cover his tracks and all. So that meant buying a new phone every two weeks or so, and this phone’s lifetime was fast approaching.

And although they had both planned to meet up a couple of days back, Henry had no clue on where they were going and how far away that destination would be. So he thought the little road trip would be the best time to rid himself of the phone and properly get out of the house.

And besides, hanging out with Ellie was fun. Sometimes they stole stuff together

He jolts out of his spot when he starts to hear a crackling hiss, because that meant that the rune was reacting to someone other than himself approaching the house. It also meant that if he wasn't careful, it'd burn down the building. 

(Which was intentional, if he wasn't home. He'd hate to lose his couch, but he'd rather leave no traces.)

He speedwalks to the door, grabbing the handle to turn it open quickly. The rune glowed the color of dying embers, and it flared and hissed in protest before an invisible breeze snuffed it out cleanly. Henry peers outside the door, suddenly regretful that he didn't check the window beforehand to see who it was. 

Because Henry's apparent lucky streak is not over, Ellie waves to him from the gravel pathway that was surrounded by swaying wild flowers and long grass. She had already gotten out of her car and was halfway to the door. He felt himself untense, and his grip on the door handle loosens. Henry gives a little wave back before turning to close and lock the door. 

When they're closer, Ellie gives him a friendly punch in the arm while saying, "Did you _still_ not change what kind of security guards this place?" 

And now THAT Henry felt was unfair, because how would she know that he hasn't stopped making his safe houses fire hazards? He could have stopped already. 

"I have," he signs, keeping his expression as earnest as possible as he blatantly lies. Ellie just raises her eyebrows like she doesn't believe he has. So he signs, more insistently and with some indignation, "I _have._ "

"Ok," she starts slowly, "I'll bite. If you have, then why'd you look a little scared when you opened the door?" 

Henry's hands pause in the air, and he thinks, _ah, shit._ There was no way to tell Ellie that it was because he forgot to check the windows, because she would scold him for that. And there was no way he could see himself convincing Ellie that he has, indeed, changed the security system without it sounding like a horrible lie. In short: she had him cornered. 

"I," he begins signing, putting on a brave face, "plead the fifth. I will not talk until my lawyer arrives." 

Ellie looks at him in mock shock and disbelief before she breaks into laughter. Henry tries to keep onto a serious expression as he rounds the car to open the passenger side door, but he's not sure if it's working. He could feel himself trying to smile.

Ellie drops into the driver seat with a couple of fading giggles. The car rumbles gently in the background, before Ellie turns up the radio a bit before buckling herself in. Henry follows suit, although he looks around as he does. With his inspection of the interior, Henry is once again reminded how much Ellie and he share the same interest in things that look expensive or reflective. Which most of the time, ended up being both.

There were two bobblehead cats on the dashboard, and small beads hanging from the rearview mirror. the steering wheel had a shiny cover, and there were even a few stickers he spotted on his second look of the dashboard.

Henry turned in his seat to look at the back seat, and was surprised to see that it wasn't usually cluttered. Ellie's car was usually her on the go storage space for keepsakes, and the usual tarp in the back that covered that was missing. In its place was a lone box, generously strapped in itself. The car lurched back onto the empty road, doing a u-turn before Henry turned back around to catch Ellie's attention to point at the back. 

"That's the charm," she responds before her eyes are back on the road and the car is quiet, save for the songs on the radio. Henry usually wasn't in the business for small talk, but after staring out the window for a couple of minutes, he turned to ellie. 

"How's Lana?" he asks, clearing his throat afterwards because it sounded hoarse. Ellie looked over at him again when he spoke, but she started smiling softly as she thought about her girlfriend. 

"She's been good, and- oh shit I, I almost forgot to mention that she said hi," Ellie sounds sheepish, but Henry reassures her that it's alright, it happens, before she continues, "she had to take Sozu to the vet recently though. He ate something he shouldn't have and that worried us both for a bit- ” Ellie briefly looked at him again in alarm at his own alarmed noise, rushing to get out- “he's alright now though! turns out he ate something that was easy to get back out.” He lets out a relieved sigh, turning to look out the windshield. He hopes Sozu is recovering well.

“You just- you really went through the full five stages there huh?” Ellie asks after a bout of silence. She looked like she was holding back a smile. Henry huffs and leans up to give her a ‘Y’think?’ look. She may not be looking at him, but she apparently found the answer in his silence as her face scrunched more in the signature Ellie Is _Really_ Trying Not To Laugh look. Henry just shakes his head and throws himself back into his seat and crosses his arms while he waits for Ellie.

Her face soon smooths out, her hand reaching to the radio dial to turn it down. “We love that you care about him, trust me. It's just that you- you asked about Lana and then just forgot? Yeah.”

The realization that he _did_ temporarily forget hits him, and it makes him feel guilty. Because Ellie loved talking about her girlfriend, and hearing what the two were up to was _nice._ He sucks in a breath, and apparently that was enough of an indicator for Ellie that she waves a hand in the air. “It’s fine Henry! I’m not mad. I just found it funny because it’s.. It’s just a very _you_ thing to happen.”

His mouth opens and closes wordlessly as he processes that because, well, what is he supposed to _say_ to that? He shifts in his seat, suddenly aware that he and Ellie have been friends for years, and how much she knows about him. He looks up at her to watch for a few moments.

There was a contentment in the lull for her, Ellie letting Henry think while she drives and while the radio plays country. Sometimes.. There are moments when Henry realizes how much he appreciates having someone being able to read him.

“So..?” He speaks up before trailing off questioningly. Ellie grins broadly.

“Lana’s doing fine- outside of the whole Sozu thing earlier. And uh, after we’re done making the charm, I plan to meet up with her.. Soon. Soon adjacent.” She amends, as the estimated time for imbuing objects with magic can vary quite wildly. 

Henry fishes for the burner in his pockets while he nods, “We’re both shit it, but we can be shit at it together.” Pulling it out and offering it to Ellie. She takes a hand off the wheel without looking, the skin shimmering weirdly and shifting as he places it into her open palm. 

What happens next is quick. Her hand turns into a scaled claw, the wicked nails dig into the phone screen to crack it before it's completely crushed in her grip. He quickly scoots away from the glass dropping onto the floor. 

Whenever Henry watches Ellie's excellent grasp on partial transformation used in order to crush his phone, he feels a little jealous. He sticks his tongue out at her while she's looking away to toss the phone out the drivers window. 

"You didn’t need to- oh, I see. You’re not gonna ever just, let me live down being shit at partial, huh?” 

Ellie's smug side profile is answer enough.

\-------

He sat down on the stump, watching the great lumbering form of the scarlet dragon. Ellie paced the woods around Henry, jaws tightly shut. Henry thought there was a chance that she was holding the charm she had wanted to make Lana in her mouth, considering the careful way she moved her head. Leaning back in his seat, he waited for Ellie to stop her thoughtful pacing so that he could help wherever he could.

Once they had arrived at their destination, she had quickly gotten the box and not let it out of her sight. Henry didn’t even have a chance to fully inspect the charm, because whenever he asked or tried to swipe it, she would deflect and hold it higher than he could reach. After a while of playing cat and mouse until they reached their second destination, he just gave up. Ellie will show it to him when she is ready (and she made _damn_ sure that he knew that).

Ellie continued for a full minute before she came to a dead stop and turned her head towards Henry with an unsure look. He rolled his hand in a hopefully encouraging way to get her to talk to him.

 _How do you not over enchant something? i want to_ protect _her, not get the cops at her door because I accidentally created an artifact._

Henry hummed at the words that tumbled through his head, his own tilting to the side in thought. He was pretty sure it was based on the intention. and also perhaps the feeling? he wasn't an expert on this, since he stole what he needed instead of focusing on creating what he needed. He reminded Ellie in sign, much to her grievance. 

_Are we thieves, just to suffer?_ She lamented dramatically as she finally deposited the object at his feet in the grass gently, after _heavy_ deliberation. It was a necklace, with a heart attached. He leaned down to pick it up, inspecting it and turning it over in his hands. Henry thought it looked good. He felt the weight of the heart, and he thought it had to at _least_ be gold with how heavy it was.

He placed the necklace in his lap to free up his hands, looking up at the big eye turned to watch him with an exaggerated eye roll and a smile. "Oh, absolutely," he signed in agreement. "But do we even know what counts as an artifact and a charm? I thought humans just consider anything made by dragons is automatically an artifact by their standards." 

The look on Ellie’s face said that what he had said was _not_ helpful. He raised his hands up in surrender. 

Ellie sat down next to him, holding out a massive clawed hand that Henry promptly dropped the necklace into. He watched as she pulled it close to her chest before closing her eyes. her lower jaw couldn't move as much, the underbite's sturdy build meant for chomping through stone or wood and _not_ meant to mumble words in an archaic language. It still made a hell of an attempt, though. 

He waited for her to finish, kicking out his legs and turning his head upwards to feel whatever sunbeams came through the canopy of high trees. The long travel time it took to get here by car was _worth it._ The clean air cleared his head, and the birds finally began to pick up their calls once more. Although Henry would have preferred flight, or a different place closer to his current shelter, he was content to sit and relish.

He opened one eye and tilted his head in Ellie's direction to look at her again. He thought about how not all dragons could be winners when it came to the dice roll of having wings capable of long distance flight. Ellie looked a lot more drake than classic western dragon; built for running down prey and using brute force, unlike how Henry was. _Well_ , he thinks to himself before turning his head back towards the sky and closing his eyes, _she's got that going for her._

They both sat in companionable silence that was only broken occasionally by hums and the noises from the forest around them. Henry felt himself beginning to doze, so he let his head loll onto his shoulder so it took less effort to hold it up. Ellie truly chose a beautiful day to make a charm for her girlfriend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i hope the dialogue was alright! im rusty and but also.. a bit new to writing.

**Author's Note:**

> surprise! 
> 
> if any of you guys know flight rising, henry is like. spiral adjacent. also im excited about this fic :eyes: but i also wont update regularly. i mean, i hope i will, but sometimes.. schedules are hard. 
> 
> thank you for reading!
> 
> post edit: fixed the the first chapter's formatting. you go to bed directly after posting and then suddenly ao3 bonks you,,,
> 
> also forgot to mention, but yall can call me kiwi!


End file.
